A determined display from Coventry City all but ended Wolverhampton Wanderers' slender hopes of claiming a play-off spot after Micky Adams' men came from two goals down in an enjoyable affair at Molineux. In truth, two first-half goals papered over the cracks of a Wolves performance that was wasteful and, for large portions of the second half, devoid of ideas.

What Wolves needed desperately was a boost to their shaky self-esteem. After recording just the one victory in six games prior to this Midlands derby, Wolves supporters and their under-fire manager would have demanded a response full of character from their team against Coventry, a side whose own recent set of results were almost as bad.

The Wolves manager, Glenn Hoddle, would have barely had time to get comfortable in the dugout when his side took the lead. A minute into the game, the Polish striker Tomasz Frankowski tumbled under Dennis Wise's challenge. The Wolves captain Paul Ince stepped up and curled a fine right-footed effort over the defensive wall and past goalkeeper Marton Fulop.

The unsettled visitors were doing disturbingly little about a Wolves team intent on tearing them apart. And on 22 minutes, Coventry caved in again. The on-loan Arsenal striker Jérémie Aliadière made the goal with a driving run into the heart of the visitors' defence. The young Frenchman then laid the ball off for the waiting Colin Cameron with a neat back-flick, and the midfielder found the back of the net with a calmly taken low shot.

But Coventry found their way back into the game just three minutes later after indecisive goalkeeping from Stefan Postma saw the Trinidad & Tobago striker Stern John bundle the ball in from Marcus Hall's cross.

Wolves regained their mom-entum for the start of the second half and on 56 minutes, Cameron and Aliadière again linked up well. Frankowski, however, should have done better as Coventry cleared their lines.

Hoddle's men however, were made to pay for their profligacy as Coventry equalised on 60 minutes. Gary McSheffrey impressively converted a 25-yard free-kick after Joleon Lescott had fouled Stephen Hughes.

Few could have argued that Coventry deserved less as boos rung out at the final whistle.